EP Hunting goes after upland game

    During the late spring and early summer, bowhunters often go through hunting withdraw.  Turkey season is over and fall seems far away.  What to do??  Doug Vandewater and Mike Mix of EP Hunting decided to go upland game hunting with a group of friends with traditional bow gear.  They headed to Remington Forest Hunt Club in Fennville, Michigan and hunted Chukar and quail.  “We were using traditional bows and for broadheads, I fashioned a small game head out of coat hanger pieces.  They worked great,” Vandewater said.
    If you haven’t tried hunting game birds like Chukar with a bow, it can be challenging.  “I missed the first few birds I shot at,” Mike Mix said with a laugh.  “But eventually traditional shooting came back to me and I was able to knock down a few birds.”  Mix got his start bowhunting years ago with traditional archery tackle.  “I haven’t shot traditional bow gear in a long time.  It was fun going back to my roots and shooting without a sight or anything on the bow.”
    Out of twenty birds, Vandewater, Mix and the gang killed twelve.  Not bad for a bunch of compound bow hunters.  “The guy from the club told us shooting any more than 50% is pretty good, especially when you consider that we were using traditional equipment,” Vandewater said.
    Shooting game birds and small game with a bow whether you are using traditional bow gear or a compound can be great practice.  Over the years, I have shot a few small animals with my bow including rabbits, hares and spruce grouse.  Hunting small game with archery gear can help you hone your stalking skills and your ability to judge distance.  Not to mention shooting at live animals is good practice.  Even if it isn’t a whitetail, shooting at a chukar or a rabbit is more fun than flinging arrows at a target.  If you get bored this summer, shoot a woodchuck or two or buy a few birds at a preserve.  It’s a lot of fun.